Punjab studies chloroquine as possible treatment for COVID-19.

LAHORE -- The Punjab government has stepped up its efforts in making a breakthrough in finding a cure for COVID-19, the mysterious disease which has so far infected more than half a million people and claiming lives of nearly 40,000 in 202 countries and territories around the world.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has vowed to exhaust all available resources for research in this connection.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has also said that chloroquine phosphate, touted as a potential cure to the novel coronavirus, could be used to treat the infected patients.

She said recent research has found out chloroquine, a medicine prescribed for treating malaria, to be 'very beneficial' and could be used in treating the coronavirus patients.

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The drug has been making headlines ever since US President Donald Trump had claimed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the 'very powerful' drug chloroquine to treat COVID-19. He claimed the medicine had shown very encouraging results and will be available in the market almost immediately.

The statement triggered panic buying across the globe and resultantly created a shortage due to hoarding.

However, its effectiveness on a COVID-19 patient is yet to be proven.

Dr Yasmin said, 'We are not only taking steps to curb the spread of coronavirus but all-out efforts are being made to prepare effective medicines to treat the affected patients'.

She insisted that chloroquine was...